During its third regular meeting, the Regional Peace and Order Council-NCR (RPOC-NCR) has adopted the region’s Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation Program (CBRP) policy.

RPOC-NCR Chair Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista led the meeting held last June 5, which was attended by local chief executives, city administrators and representatives from member national government agencies (NGAs).

Prior to the creation of the policy, NCR LGUs have adopted their own CBDRPs to respond to the influx of surrenderees in their localities with the war on drugs declared by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The policy provides the guidelines in implementing CBDRPs, where roles and functions of NGAs, civil society organizations (CSOs) and religious groups and other community-based organizations are defined to avoid overlapping of roles and ensure effective utilization of resources for anti-illegal drugs initiative.

It is also seen to promote a uniform system for community-based rehabilitation for easier coordination among LGUs in the region.

Under the policy’s CBDRP framework, LGU drug rehabilitation programs shall have a duration of at least six months, and includes clinical services which focus on the physiological and physical aspect of the surrenderee; psycho-spiritual services for values and spiritual formation; and sustainability program services which focuses on livelihood skills building. These will be covered in 24 counselling sessions, with progress monitoring for every client. DOH accredited physicians will lead drug dependency examinations of surrenderees.

Unannounced random drug testing in the course of treatment is also part of the framework, as well as the awarding of certificate of completion of sessions for individuals that have successfully fulfilled the program.

The policy also provides for the strengthening of anti-drug abuse councils in the city and barangay level, with the provision of logistical support. It also encourages LGUs to enact legislative measures for sustainability of CBDRPs in their localities.

A monitoring and evaluation mechanism is also included, which will be submitted to the Council through DILG-NCR, as its secretariat. Agencies involved in the CBDRP are also required to meet every quarter for updates as well as review of the policy.

DILG-NCR as RPOC-NCR Secretariat, led the drafting of the policy in May, together with representatives of select NGAs and key local functionaries. #